MRNA Therapy Shows Promising Results in Melanoma Trial
A 'landmark' trial has shown that an mRNA therapy can significantly reduce the odds of recurrent skin cancer.
The combined drug works by nudging the body's own immune system to make proteins that attack and destroy melanoma cells, a form of skin cancer.
Merck and Moderna conducted a phase 3 clinical trial of a combined therapy based on two separate drugs: Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda (also known as pembrolizumab), and intismeran autogene, an mRNA therapy that prompts the body's immune system to destroy cancer cells.
The trial involved over 1,000 patients with stage IIB-IV melanoma, who received either the combined treatment or Keytruda alone. The results showed that those receiving the combined treatment had a significantly lower risk of recurrence and improved survival rates compared to those receiving Keytruda alone.
The success of this trial marks a significant milestone in the development of mRNA-based cancer treatments, which have shown great promise in targeting specific mutations in cancer cells.